Maha-bharata Part 37

Like his teacher Par'su-Rama dyes in purple blood his course, Like a snake of deathful poison Karna guards the Kuru force!

Karna smote my chariot-driver and my standard rent in twain, Shattered car and lifeless horses strew the red inglorious plain,

Scarce with life in speechless anguish from the battle-field I fled, Scorn of foes and shame of kinsmen! Warrior's fame and honour dead!

Ten long years and three Yudhishthir joy nor peace nor rest hath seen, And while Karna lives and glories, all our insults still are green,

Hast thou, Arjun, slain that chieftain as in swelling pride he stood, Hast thou wiped our wrongs and insults in that chariot-driver's blood?"

"At a distance," Krishna answered, "fiery Arjun fought his way, Now he meets the archer Karna, and he vows his death to-day."

Anger lit Yudhishthir's forehead, and a tremor shook his frame, As he spake to silent Arjun words of insult and of shame:

"Wherefore like a painted warrior doth the helmed Arjun stand, Wherefore useless lies _gandiva_ in his weak and nerveless hand,

Wherefore hangs yon mighty sabre from his belt of silk and gold, Wherefore doth the peerless Krishna drive his coursers fleet and bold,

If afar from war's arena timid Arjun seeks to hide, If he shuns the mighty Karna battling in unconquered pride?

Arjun! yield thy famed _gandiva_ unto worthier hands than thine, On some braver, truer warrior let thy mighty standard shine,

Yield thy helmet and thy armour, yield thy gleaming sword and shield, Hide thee from this deathful battle, matchless Karna rules the field!"

Sparkled Arjun's eye in anger with a red and livid flame, And the tempest of his pa.s.sion shook his more than mortal frame,

Heedless, on the sword-hilt Arjun placed his swift and trembling hand, Heedless, with a warrior's instinct drew the dark and glistening brand!

Sacred blood of king and elder would have stained his trenchant steel, But the wise and n.o.ble Krishna strove the fatal feud to heal:

"Not before thy elder, Arjun, but in yonder purple field, 'Gainst thy rival and thy foeman use thy warlike sword and shield!

Render honour to thy elder, quench thy hasty, impious wrath, Sin not 'gainst holy _sastra_, leave not virtue's sacred path!

Bow before thy virtuous elder as before the G.o.ds in heaven, Sheathe thy sword and quell thy pa.s.sion, be thy hasty sin forgiven!"

Duteous Arjun silent listened and obeyed the mandate high, Tears of manly sorrow trickled from his soft and altered eye,

Dear in joy and dear in suffering, calm his righteous elder stood, Dear in Indra-prastha's mansions, dearer in the jungle wood!

Arjun sheathed his flashing sabre, joined his hands and hung his head, Fixed his eye on good Yudhishthir and in humble accents said:

"Pardon, great and saintly monarch, va.s.sal's disrespectful word, Pardon, elder, if a younger heedless drew his sinful sword!

But thy hest to yield my weapon stung my soul to bitter strife, Dearer is the bow _gandiva_ unto Arjun than his life!

Pardon if the blood of anger mantled o'er this rugged brow, Pardon if I drew my sabre 'gainst my duty and my vow!

For that hasty act repenting Arjun bows unto thy feet, Grant me, gentle king and elder, brother's love, forgiveness sweet!"

From Yudhishthir's altered eyelids gentle tears of sorrow start, And he lifts his younger brother to his ever-loving heart:

"Arjun, I have wronged thee brother, and no fault or sin is thine, Hasty words of thoughtless anger 'scaped these sinful lips of mine!

Bitter was my shame and anguish when from Karna's car I fled, Redder than my bleeding bosom warrior's fame and honour bled!

Hasty words I uttered, Arjun, by my pain and anguish driven, Wipe them with a brother's kindness, be thy elder's sin forgiven!"

Stronger by his elder's blessing, Arjun mounts the battle-car, Krishna drives the milk-white coursers to the thickening ranks of war!

Onward came the fiery Karna with his chiefs and armed men, Salya urged his flying coursers with the whip and loosened rein,

Often met and often parted, life-long rivals in their fame, Not to part again, the heroes, each unto the other came,

Not to part until a chieftain by the other chief was slain, Arjun dead or lifeless Karna, pressed the Kuru-kshetra plain!

Long they strove, but neither archer could his gallant foeman beat, Though like surging ocean billows did the angry warriors meet,

Arjun's arrows fell on Karna like the summer's angry flood, Karna's shafts like hissing serpents drank the valiant Arjun's blood!

Fierce and quick from his _gandiva_ angry accents Arjun woke, Till the bow-string, strained and heated, was by sudden impulse broke!

"Hold," cried Arjun to his rival, "mind the honoured rules of war, Warriors strike not helpless foemen thus disabled on the car,

Hold, brave Karna, until Arjun mends his over-strained bow, Arjun then will crave for mercy nor from G.o.d nor mortal foe!"

Vain he spake, for wild with anger heedless Karna, fiercely lowered, Thick and fast on bowless Arjun countless arrows darkly showered,

Like the cobra, dark and hissing, Karna's gleaming lightning dart, Struck the helpless archer Arjun on his broad and bleeding heart!

Furious like a wounded tiger quivering in the darksome wood, With his mended warlike weapon now the angry Arjun stood,

Blazing with a mighty radiance like a flame in summer night, Fierce he fell on archer Karna with his more than mortal might!

Little recked the dauntless Karna if his foe in anger rose, Karna feared not face of mortal, dreaded not immortal foes,

Nor with all his wrath and valour Arjun conquered him in war, Till within the soft earth sinking stuck the wheel of Karna's car!

Stood unmoved the tilted chariot, vainly wrathful Salya strove, Urging still the struggling coursers Karna's heavy car to move,

Vainly too the gallant Karna leaped upon the humid soil, Sought to lift the sunken axle with a hard unwonted toil,

"Hold," he cried to n.o.ble Arjun, "wage no false and impious war On a foeman, helpless, carless,--thou upon thy lofty car."

Loudly laughed the helmed Arjun, answer nor rejoinder gave, Unto Karna pleading virtue Krishna answered calm and grave:

"Didst thou seek the path of virtue, mighty Karna, archer bold, When Sakuni robbed Yudhishthir of his empire and his gold?

Didst thou tread the path of honour on Yudhishthir's fatal fall, Heaping insults on Draupadi in Hastina's council hall?